The Night Stages Returns In The Bugerere Stabex EMC Rally 2025
By Mwambazi Lawrence
Look alive, motorsport fans or should I say, stay awake! Because the ghosts of the 2016 SMC Masaka Rally are stirring again, and they’re dragging a night stage back with them!
Yes, you heard right. The Bugerere Stabex EMC Rally is not here to play soft it’s bringing back the infamous night stage for Round 4 of the 2025 National Rally Championship, scheduled for 10th to 12th July across the dusty, twisty stages of Jinja and Kayunga.
Now, before you run off to check if your headlamps work or if your co-driver sees well in the dark, let’s give you the stats. This beast of a rally will cover a total of 307.46 km, with 154.46 km of competitive action and 153.00 km of liaison all neatly chopped into 10 dramatic stages. And one of them? Oh yes a spine-tingling, darkness-hugging, mosquito-friendly 8.72 km NIGHT STAGE right through the spooky sugarcane jungles of Kakira. Where the only thing scarier than missing a corner… is realizing your co-driver’s scared too.
The last time drivers tackled night stages was way back in 2016 during the SMC Masolin Signs smc Masaka Rally. And let’s just say… it was less “Fast & Furious” and more “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? Rally Edition.” Ghosts? Check. Mysterious spins? Check. Panic in the co-driver seat? Double check. Some crews especially Omunyeto Ambrose? Poor guy probably thought the Evo was a flying carpet. His car went airborne, headlights doing astronomy, while navigator Derick Lubambula was busy mumbling prayers mixed with “Rukundo rw’Imana” (God’s love) and Morse code. Night rallying si kazi kwa woga, ni kwa mashujaa wa kweli the kind of people who laugh at potholes and say “Pole pole si polepole” while flying through the dark..
But wait, there’s sugar with that spice fans win big this time! With most of the action centered in one location from midday to 10 PM, it’s basically motorsport Netflix no need to jump from cane field to cane field Just park your behind at the superspecial stage and boom let the drama unfold right in front of your eyes.
The Clerk of the Course (COC) Jackson Jay Serwanga has assured that while the rally promises to be a fun fiesta, it won’t be a Sunday drive. “It’s going to be challenging,” he said, “but we’re working overnigh to ensure safety, excitement, and a smooth experience.” (Read: “We don’t want any more rally cars climbing trees at night.”)
Meanwhile, rally crews are already sharpening their reflexes and upgrading their lighting systems because let’s be honest, you can’t just slap on boda boda lights and hope for the best in a night stage.
So whether you’re a rally junkie or just someone who enjoys watching cars slide sideways while trying not to hit a tree urakaza neza! this is your moment.
Entries are now open at FMU offices in Lugogo, and drivers are already queuing like it’s a new iPhone launch. If you haven’t registered, you better hit the gas!
Buckle up. The rally is back. The night is dark and full of terrors but also full of action, anti-lags, and adrenaline.
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